What a day!
74 registered teams and individuals, 76 species seen, 51 species on the winning checklist, 32 checklists submitted, and 84℉ high temperature!
And the winner is...
Patrick Fellion with a whopping 51 species!
Absolutely crushing the previous record (37), Patrick was one of three birders who spotted the Louisiana Waterthrush in the Public Garden; but he said his favorite species is a Chestnut-sided Warbler which eluded him today.
Patrick bested this year's second place finisher (and two-time winner) Ingrid Messbauer by just ONE species. Ingrid and Patrick were also the only birders to spot and identify a Rough-winged Swallow today. Ingrid's favorite bird of the day was a Black-crowned Night Heron which flew overhead while she was searching for Great-blue Herons.
Third pace went to Kyle Johnson with 35 species. Birder (and apparent woodcock fan) scolopaxminor took fourth place with 33 and young birder Ben took fifth with 32.
(Scroll down for pictures↓)
It was very... 'birdy' out there today
👆agree!
Of note:
- The Wood Warblers were IN TOWN this year despite a windy afternoon - unlike last year.
- Herring in the harbor brought the gulls in again this year - just like 2024... although no Bald Eagle with them this year.
- The weather was GORGEOUS. Even a little warm and muggy as the day wore on.
- Only one species (Rock Pigeon) was recorded on 100% of checklists (five in 2024).
- Percent of checklists with Chimney Swifts in 2023: 0%; 2024: 6%; 2025: 59%!
- 2025 Big Day Boston Birders saw 76 total species.
- Neither the first nor second place finishers saw a crow!
- The second place finisher did not see (or count?) the domestic geese which are usually present on the Esplanade (this may have been my fault for not being more clear that they are allowed to be counted at Big Day Boston!)
- Some fun "species" reported (not counted 😅): Baby Canada geese, Duck Boat, Bronze Duck, and a fake owl 😂.
- Still ZERO TURKEYS reported at Big Day Boston!
Full results:
(Google Sheet with full results↗):
| place | username | species |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | pfellion | 51 |
| 2 | iemess | 50 |
| 3 | kjohns229 | 35 |
| 4 | scolopaxminor | 33 |
| 5 | ksmith | 32 |
| 6 | EsppritElise | 31 |
| 7 | DebbyEthridge | 30 |
| 8 | Jonathian Dain | 29 |
| 9 | Mass Young Birders Club | 28 |
| 9 | Birdbrain (Allston/Brighton/Camberville) |
28 |
| 9 | a Neighborhood Naturalist | 28 |
| 9 | mfoos | 28 |
| 13 | Toads | 26 |
| 13 | mjrice04 (Once bittern, twice shy) |
26 |
| 13 | mksprintz | 26 |
| 16 | warblingcreeper (adam & arlo) |
25 |
| 17 | potatobird (Watertown Waxwings) |
24 |
| 17 | awallas (Watertown Waxwings) |
24 |
| 17 | Robin Kazmier (Watertown Waxwings) |
24 |
| 17 | Allison Eck (Watertown Waxwings) |
24 |
| 17 | bird70 (Watertown Waxwings) |
24 |
| 22 | Joe Martin | 23 |
| 22 | JimneySwift | 23 |
| 24 | bguldner | 22 |
| 24 | rnickc | 22 |
| 26 | stevejrowe | 21 |
| 27 | 4th and finches | 20 |
| 28 | Bufflehead | 18 |
| 29 | armjo3 | 16 |
| 30 | Max and Basil | 15 |
| 31 | Team Lynn | 8 |
| 32 | birdnerd5000 | 6 |
Checklist counts
List of species and count | percentage of checklists on which species was counted.
| Species | Checklist count | |
|---|---|---|
| Rock Pigeon | 32 | 100% |
| House Sparrow | 31 | 97% |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 30 | 94% |
| Herring Gull | 30 | 94% |
| American Robin | 30 | 94% |
| European Starling | 30 | 94% |
| Mallard | 29 | 91% |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 28 | 88% |
| Gray Catbird | 28 | 88% |
| Common Grackle | 28 | 88% |
| Canada Goose | 27 | 84% |
| Blue Jay | 27 | 84% |
| White-throated Sparrow | 27 | 84% |
| Mourning Dove | 26 | 81% |
| Downy Woodpecker | 24 | 75% |
| Song Sparrow | 23 | 72% |
| Chimney Swift | 19 | 59% |
| Northern Mockingbird | 19 | 59% |
| Black-and-white Warbler | 19 | 59% |
| Ring-billed Gull | 17 | 53% |
| Ovenbird | 16 | 50% |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 15 | 47% |
| Northern Cardinal | 15 | 47% |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 15 | 47% |
| House Finch | 15 | 47% |
| American Goldfinch | 15 | 47% |
| Hermit Thrush | 14 | 44% |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 12 | 38% |
| Osprey | 11 | 34% |
| Northern Parula | 11 | 34% |
| Chipping Sparrow | 9 | 28% |
| Domestic Goose | 8 | 25% |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 8 | 25% |
| American Crow | 8 | 25% |
| Wood Thrush | 8 | 25% |
| Savannah Sparrow | 7 | 22% |
| Baltimore Oriole | 7 | 22% |
| Turkey Vulture | 6 | 19% |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 6 | 19% |
| Tree Swallow | 6 | 19% |
| Nashville Warbler | 5 | 16% |
| Yellow Warbler | 5 | 16% |
| Swamp Sparrow | 5 | 16% |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | 5 | 16% |
| Common Loon | 4 | 13% |
| Black-crowned Night-heron | 4 | 13% |
| Veery | 4 | 13% |
| Common Tern | 3 | 9% |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 3 | 9% |
| Common Yellowthroat | 3 | 9% |
| Lincoln’s Sparrow | 3 | 9% |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | 3 | 9% |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 2 | 6% |
| Peregrine Falcon | 2 | 6% |
| Warbling Vireo | 2 | 6% |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 2 | 6% |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | 2 | 6% |
| American Redstart | 2 | 6% |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 2 | 6% |
| Rough-winged Swallow | 2 | 6% |
| Great-crested Flycatcher | 2 | 6% |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | 2 | 6% |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 2 | 6% |
| Brown Thrasher | 2 | 6% |
| Palm Warbler | 2 | 6% |
| American Black Duck | 1 | 3% |
| Blue-headed Vireo | 1 | 3% |
| Barn Swallow | 1 | 3% |
| Tufted Titmouse | 1 | 3% |
| House Wren | 1 | 3% |
| Eastern Towhee | 1 | 3% |
| Purple Finch | 1 | 3% |
| Prairie Warbler | 1 | 3% |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 1 | 3% |
| Green Heron | 1 | 3% |
| Fish Crow | 1 | 3% |
Thanks everyone. This was really fun to do again!
- Adam and the Big Day Boston team
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